Libraries have fun “Outside the Lines”
Article and photo by Lisa Crockett
Twelve-year-old Brennen Keller helps himself to some buttered popcorn at the Castle Pines library last month during the library’s “Outside the Lines” event. The weeklong celebration featured a different, fun food each day including carnival-type favorites like cotton candy, nachos and doughnuts. While the treats were nostalgic, they highlight the fact that the face of the library is changing. No longer just a building with books, the libraries also offer services that run the gamut from story time to online business research and movie making.
“Doing this is all about challenging assumptions about what the library is all about,” said Patron Services Department Head Kate Prestwood. “We wanted to do something unexpected and fun.”
Libraries in Douglas County, elsewhere in Colorado, and throughout North America hosted similar, weeklong events in September designed to showcase library services and to demonstrate how libraries have changed.
This month, Castle Pines branch patrons can learn more about issues facing voters in November’s election at a “Colorado Ballot Issues” discussion, while food allergy sufferers can prepare for the holidays at a “Season’s Eatings: Delicious Gluten-Free Holiday Baking” class.
For more information about programs and events at Douglas County Libraries, visit www.douglascountylibraries.org.
